"Right to Work for Less" -- Wrong for Indiana!

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A falsely labled "Right-to-Work", it is actually a "Right-to-Work-for-Less" and a restriction on the rights of businesses and labor to negotiate conditions of employment. Such a law would be devastating for Hoosier workers and the State of Indiana. If enacted, this government interference would lower wages and benefits for all Hoosier workers.  Such laws have been rejected by 28 states!

 

So…what’s really going on here?  Out-of-state lobbyists are running a 50-state campaign to weaken and destroy unions by forcing them to represent non-members who refuse to pay for the very services unions are required to provide them by federal law.

What does such a law actually do?  It discriminates against union employers.  It bans union employers and only union employers from using a “union-security clause” as part of a freely negotiated collective bargaining agreement.  A union security clause requires all persons covered by a collective bargaining agreement to pay for the costs of representation and job referal services.  Federal law requires that a union represent and provide services to all member of a collective bargaining unit, regardless of whether or not they are a union member.  A "Right-to-Work" law mandates that a union provide all services to nonmembers free of charge.

Lower wages. The proposal would result in a lower standard of living for Indiana workers ($5,538 a year, on average). Why would these out-of-state business groups want to pass it nationwide if it did not lower labor costs?

Lower quality. By draining funds from the union construction industry, this proposal would erode and ultimately destroy Indiana’s world-class training system for highly skilled workers.

Increased unemployment. The very referral services that provide our contractors skilled building tradespeople and find our unemployed work would be defunded.

Wrong for Indiana’s construction industry. The Right to Work for Less undermines the contractors of the union construction industry that use labor-management trusts to save on human resource, training, health care, and pension costs by pooling employee costs within the industry. The “right to work” political ploy will destroy a system that is recognized as a major economic development advantage for Indiana.

What’s the effect on the contractor? Government would limit the right of contractors to negotiate terms and conditions of employment that are in their best economic interests. It would deny contractors access to skilled labor by defunding the union referral system.

What is the effect on the worker? Government would override the voluntary decision of employees to include a union security clause in their collective bargaining agreement.  The referral system that building tradespeople rely on to find work would be defunded, keeping them in the unemployment line longer.



Unnecessary. In all 50 states, under federal law: No worker can be mandated to join a union. No worker can be mandated to pay union dues. No worker can be mandated to pay political money to a union.

 

What’s the real issue? Out-of-state lobbyists are targeting Indiana to weaken and destroy unions and union businesses.  Union foes hope to achieve their goals by:

 

• Banning union contractors from requiring nonmembers to pay for services that unions must provide them by federal law.

 

• Discouraging contractors from making the voluntary decision to become a union contractor.

Let’s be careful here.  Indiana’s union construction industry funds a world-class training system ($29 million per year). We build the largest, most complex projects on time and on budget.  Driven by ideology, “right to work” seeks to fix something that is not broken.

 

Reports with Real Facts

"Right-to-Work" laws are terrible economic development policy for any state. Read more from the Economic Policy Institute:

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Click the "Take Action" button to quickly find your state legislators and send them an email voicing your opposition to a destructive "Right-to-Work" law in Indiana.

More questions about "Right-to-Work-for-Less" laws, see "Real Answers."

Additional Web Sites With Facts About Right-to-Work-for-Less Laws

Who Actually Supports Right-to-Work-for-Less Laws?